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mom, son both grads this school year

Story and photo by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

Graduates have tossed their caps and are settling down for the summer with the celebrations morphing into future plans.

In the Cook household in Murphysboro, the family celebrated two graduations: Brendon, 18, graduated from Murphysboro High School, and his mother, Sheri, graduated in December 2009 with a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in applied linguistics.

The Cook family is active in St. Andrew Parish, and pastor, Father Gary Gummersheimer, said he appreciates having a family that continues to be active as his parishioners.

Brendon graduated from St. Andrew’s elementary school where his brother, Ethan, 11, will be a sixth-grader in the fall.
Mother and son are proud of each other. Sheri spoke warmly of Brendon’s accomplishments in high school: an athlete in football, cross country and track; a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes; and active in the high school’s Key Club — a non-profit organization and part of the Kiwanis Club.

While Brendon participated in many civic activities, he also remained involved with his parish and parish activities for youth. He was a member of Teens in Spirit for the youth of a number of area parishes. Brendon said he attended the meetings after he was confirmed to “help out.”

Now, he “helps out” at his parish where he was an altar boy and is now an usher with his father, Garrett.
Sheri Cook, a full time professor at John A. Logan College, teaching Deaf Studies/American Sign Language Program and Interpreter Preparation Program, volunteers her time at the parish as well, sometimes “signing” at liturgies.
Not a native of Murphysboro, Sheri met Garrett at a residential camp at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale for adolescents who were deaf and visually impaired.

“I come from a deaf family, and I’m partially deaf,” she said. “Sign language is part of my life.”
Also not being Catholic, she said when she discovered her husband-to-be’s Catholic background, she would pray for him.

However, when the family moved back to Murphysboro from Wisconsin, and Brendon, then a second-grader at St. Andrew’s, made his first Communion, she decided it was time for her to join the church as well.
Father Gummersheimer said the family attends church together and describes Brendon as an “all around neat kid.”
Brendon received a scholarship from the parish’s Altar Society, based on how involved he is in the parish, Sheri Cook said.

While he hasn’t decided what field he wants to study, he expects to attend John A. Logan in the fall where his mother teaches.

He said he may even decide to take one of her classes. That, he said, would be all right too. The St. Andrew’s graduate has learned many lessons about giving back to his community through his various activities, and because of his involvement in his parish, he will undoubtedly continue, because in part, Sheri said, of the example his father has set not only for Brendon but Sheri as well.